Chapter 604: Nightmare
Chapter 604: Nightmare
"Here, you can play with this..."
Hearing these childish words, Murong Caiyin couldn't help but feel amused.
Message tokens weren't meant to be toys.
But since Mo Hua had made the request, she didn't refuse.
The items in these storage bags were meant to be shared among the group as they saw fit.
A blank message token would be of no use to her anyway.
"Alright then."
Murong Caiyin handed over the white jade token, its contents already erased, now blank, to Mo Hua.
"Thank you, Senior Sister!"
Mo Hua happily accepted it and kept it safely as if it were a treasure.
Murong Caiyin smiled and shook her head gently.
The rest of the items were divided up simply among the group.
Since they were already leftovers from the Court's selection and weren't particularly valuable, Murong Caiyin basically gave whatever anyone asked for.
With the last of the spoils distributed, the group set off back to the sect.
Their journey back was more relaxed and leisurely compared to their hurried arrival.
Murong Caiyin hired a horse carriage, spacious and luxurious, filled with rain mist incense and lined with soft marten fur blankets, making for a very comfortable ride.
Mo Hua admired the grand carriage and guessed that Senior Sister Murong must come from a wealthy family.
He then looked forward.
Four tall and majestic spirit horses were harnessed to the carriage.
These were second-grade spirit horses, specially bred and trained by cultivators for pulling carriages.
The four horses exuded a majestic aura.
Mo Hua couldn't help but think of "Big White."
During his travels with his master, accompanied by Old Kui, his senior martial brother, and senior martial sister, they had journeyed far and wide. The horse that pulled their carriage, a white horse, was named "Big White."
Mo Hua had given it that name himself.
He guessed that Big White must have liked it a lot because whenever he called out its name, the horse would nuzzle him affectionately with its head.
As for Big White's original name, something like Cloud or Dragon Steed, Mo Hua found it a bit of a mouthful and didn't bother to remember it.
"I wonder how Big White compares to these horses. Which one is better?"
Mo Hua mused silently to himself.
White clouds drifted in the sky, and the horses' hooves clopped rhythmically.
Memories floated through Mo Hua's mind like mountain silhouettes, fleeting and hazy.
As they traveled, a sense of loss and bitterness crept into Mo Hua's heart.
The people who had accompanied him for so long were suddenly no longer by his side.
And he had to continue on alone, always moving forward...
A hint of loneliness mixed with determination flashed in Mo Hua's eyes.
"Junior Brother..."
A gentle and clear voice snapped Mo Hua out of his reverie.
Murong Caiyin asked softly, "Do you have something on your mind?"
"No..."
Mo Hua shook his head.
Flower Shallow, sitting beside them, covered her mouth and teased with a smile, "Could it be that you've taken a liking to one of the pretty junior sisters and are thinking about her?"
Mo Hua's cheeks reddened slightly as he denied, "No!"
The others were taken aback by his reaction.
Recalling the battle against the Vulture, Mo Hua's expertise in stealth and formations, his use of a water prison to trap their enemy, and his fireballs to finish him off, his ruthless and deceptive final blow...
His actions had been meticulous and calm, displaying a natural talent for making decisions.
Though he appeared friendly and adorable, there was also a sense of depth and inscrutability about him that created a sense of dissonance.
And so, throughout the journey, while everyone maintained their usual expressions, there was a underlying wariness in their hearts.
But now, with the mention of a "love interest" and a "junior sister"...
Mo Hua's fair cheeks turned crimson, the blush spreading, making his lips seem redder and his eyebrows more like a painting.
He looked shy and embarrassed.
He appeared as an innocent and bashful junior brother.
The wariness in the hearts of the others suddenly vanished, and they couldn't help but smile.
Seeing everyone smiling at him, Mo Hua's face reddened further, and he protested, "Really, I'm not!"
"Okay, okay..."
"You don't believe me?"
"We believe you, we believe you..."
"Then why are you still laughing?"
...
The atmosphere in the carriage became much more cheerful...
...
On the main road of Qianzhou.
The carriage continued without stopping, providing a comfortable ride. Although it felt a bit slow, the four powerful horses were swift, and their actual speed was quite fast.
As evening approached, the carriage entered the border of Qianxue Province.
Ouyang Feng was a disciple of Taihe Gate, and Flower Shallow was a disciple of Hundred Flowers Valley. They would have to disembark midway.
"Murong Junior Sister, Shallow Junior Sister, Official Junior Brother, Little Mo Junior Brother..."
Ouyang Feng recited each of their names in a solemn manner, then bowed and said, "I bid you farewell for now. Hopefully, we will meet again on another mission..."
Everyone bowed in farewell.
Ouyang Feng glanced at Mo Hua once more, hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, "Mo Junior Brother, if you have time, please come to my Taihe Gate. You can enjoy the scenery and exchange insights. I can also play the role of a host..."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Ouyang!" Mo Hua was delighted and nodded vigorously, "Definitely, definitely!"
Next was Flower Shallow.
She wore a hundred-flowered robe, her face as beautiful as flowers. Although she seemed quiet and reserved, it was because they weren't familiar enough yet.
Once you got to know her, she was surprisingly lively.
After bidding farewell to the group, she turned to Mo Hua and said, "Little Junior Brother, come to our Hundred Flowers Valley to play sometime..."
Mo Hua was taken aback, "Hundred Flowers Valley... isn't that an all-female sect where men aren't allowed?"
Flower Shallow smiled mischievously, "We can dress you up in a female disciple's skirt, put some rouge on your cheeks, and you can pretend to be a 'little beauty'. That way, you can definitely get in.
It was unthinkable!
Flower Shallow found Mo Hua's angry expression amusing, and she laughed even harder.
After laughing for a while, she stared at him, as if imagining what he would look like wearing the Hundred Flowers robe—a vision of elegance and beauty. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Mo Hua felt a chill run down his spine and immediately moved away from her, taking refuge beside Murong Caiyin.
Murong Caiyin sighed helplessly.
...
After disembarking from the carriage, Flower Shallow waved goodbye to the group from a distance before turning and walking towards the Hundred Flowers Valley, a place filled with blooming flowers and eternal spring.
The carriage continued on its journey and soon arrived back at Tai Xu Men.
Since Murong Caiyin was a year ahead of Mo Hua, she lived in the female disciples' residence. Thus, she bid them farewell first, saying, "Junior Brother Shangguan, Junior Brother Mo, I'll take my leave. After I finish reporting our merits to the Court, I'll transfer them to your Tai Xu Token."
Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu expressed their gratitude with a bow.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then added in a low voice, "Senior Sister Murong..."
Murong Caiyin was slightly taken aback. "Is there something the matter?"
Mo Hua then shared the plan he had been carefully concocting throughout the journey:
"Senior Sister, the next time you take on a mission that requires stealth, array setup and dismantling, trapping enemies with spells, or amplifying elemental spells...
"...can you bring me along?"
There were many restrictions on the bounty missions offered by Tai Xu Men, especially for newcomers like Mo Hua, who had just joined, had low cultivation, and lacked experience.
Without being able to take on missions, he couldn't earn any merit.
Therefore, Mo Hua could only think of ways to tag along with Murong Caiyin on her missions.
Murong Caiyin was stunned. "Are you... in dire need of merit?"
Mo Hua nodded. "I want to earn merit to exchange for array techniques."
"But..." Murong Caiyin frowned, "...didn't Teacher Xun give you quite a few array techniques?"
"Teacher Xun said that he can't break the sect's rules," Mo Hua explained. "He wants me to be self-reliant, earn my own merit, and exchange it for array techniques myself..."
However, he didn't mention that Teacher Xun had only allowed him to take on "beginner" missions.
Dangerous missions like the one they had just completed, involving pursuit and assassination, were not something Teacher Xun had ever expected Mo Hua to take on, let alone complete successfully.
Murong Caiyin nodded slightly.
Indeed, rules were rules, and even if one was partial to their disciples, they couldn't break the sect's rules.
This was indeed Teacher Xun's style of doing things.
"But, these missions are quite..."
Murong Caiyin had wanted to say "dangerous," but then she thought of the tragic death of Vulture, and suddenly realized...
It was indeed dangerous.
However, who was in the most danger was hard to say...
At least for now, Mo Hua was safe and sound, while Vulture had met a bitter end.
Murong Caiyin's eyes sparkled with thoughts.
This mission had indeed been very dangerous.
Vulture's strength couldn't be underestimated.
Especially with the strange Four Symbols array tattooed on his head, which, when activated, fused his flesh and blood with demonic power, boosting his strength to a level almost comparable to a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Among the criminal cultivators and demonic cultivators she had pursued over the years, those with Vulture's level of strength were quite rare.
Moreover, Vulture was also proficient in array techniques.
Without Mo Hua, their group might not have made it out safely.
On the other hand, Mo Hua was clever and agile, skilled in stealth and arrays, and had strong spiritual sense.
On his own, Mo Hua probably wouldn't have been able to kill Vulture.
But if he wanted to escape from Vulture, he would have been more than capable.
So, if one were to talk about danger...
The one who faced the most danger was Vulture, who had been marked by Mo Hua and subsequently met his demise.
Next would be the rest of their group.
And lastly, it would be Mo Hua.
Murong Caiyin nodded and agreed, "Alright!"
Mo Hua was overjoyed. "Thank you, Senior Sister Murong!"
He hadn't expected Senior Sister Murong to agree so readily.
Shangguan Xu, who was standing beside him, was also surprised.
He had thought that Senior Sister Murong would definitely refuse such a dangerous request, or at least hesitate and try to decline a few times.
Murong Caiyin looked at Mo Hua with a gentle smile.
There was one more important reason that she kept to herself.
The absolute array...
An array that could amplify the power of the Five Elements!
Such an array was extremely rare and seldom seen.
Moreover, she had never heard of any Foundation Establishment cultivator in the entire Qian Xue State who could learn such a powerful array technique.
This array approached the origin of the Five Elements.
The feeling of having one's spiritual power boil, one's spells ascend in rank, one's might transform, and being able to suppress evil and slaughter demons was something that one couldn't refuse once they had experienced it.
That breathtakingly beautiful, yet deadly, Five Elements halo.
Even now, Murong Caiyin's heart still raced when she thought about it.
Murong Caiyin's gaze shifted to Mo Hua, her eyes sparkling as if she were looking at a rare, precious treasure that could amplify the power of spells—a "heavenly treasure."
"It's a pity that I can't carry it with me all the time..."
Murong Caiyin thought with a hint of regret.
Mo Hua and Shangguan Xu made their way towards the disciples' residence, chatting along the way about various trivial matters, such as which Elder had the worst temper and where the best food could be found...
There were also some "wild delicacies" in the mountains, like the golden-feathered chickens raised by the Elder from the back mountain. They tasted delicious when roasted, but you shouldn't leave any evidence behind...
Since Elders were not allowed to privately deduce the karma of disciples, occasionally, if you stole a chicken and ate it, they wouldn't be able to find out who the "culprit" was...
But if you left evidence and the Elder traced it back to you, then you'd be in big trouble...
Shangguan Xu shared many insider tips, leaving Mo Hua thoroughly enlightened.
These were all valuable experiences passed down by senior disciples!
Mo Hua committed them to memory.
As they parted ways, Shangguan Xu suddenly remembered something and said, "If you have time, you can visit the Shangguan family. Aunt Wan is there, always talking about you and worrying if you're being 'bullied' by others in the sect..."
Shangguan Xu's expression turned slightly complicated. "...She also asked me to take good care of you."
Mo Hua nodded with a smile. "Aunt Wan is so kind-hearted!"
Then he asked with a puzzled look, "Where is the Shangguan family?"
He had never seen the Shangguan family's mansion, neither in the Qianzhou academic world nor in Qingzhou City. The places Aunt Wan had taken him to were all Gu family residences.
Shangguan Xu slapped his forehead and apologized, "I forgot to tell you. The Shangguan family's ancestral home is quite far from the Qianzhou academic realm. When the Shangguan family comes to Qianzhou, they usually stay at the Gu family's place..."
"The Gu family is also a prominent clan, with deep ties to the Shangguan family through generations of intermarriages. They are like branches of the same tree..."
"Aunt Wan is staying at the Gu family residence in Qingzhou City with Yu'er, taking care of him. You can pay them a visit if you have the time."
Mo Hua nodded, but suddenly paused, "Taking care of him?"
Shangguan Xu's expression turned solemn as he hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Yu'er hasn't been feeling well lately..."
"Not feeling well?"
Shangguan Xu nodded, hesitating for a moment before continuing, as if he didn't want to talk about it but felt obliged to since Mo Hua was Yu'er's "lifesaver". "Yu'er has been having nightmares lately..."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Nightmares?"
"Yes," Shangguan Xu sighed. "I don't know the specifics, but Uncle Yi and Aunt Wan have consulted karma calculators and doctors, but they couldn't find anything wrong..."
"And Yu'er can't leave Qingzhou City... If he does, the nightmares get worse, and even during daytime naps, he's plagued by night terrors, shaking uncontrollably and drenched in cold sweat..."
Shangguan Xu's brows furrowed, his heart aching for his cousin.
Mo Hua also felt a twinge of pain for the innocent child. "Has Yu'er been like this since he was little?"
Shangguan Xu thought for a moment and shook his head. "I'm not sure about that. Yu'er has a unique identity, and to avoid any misunderstandings, we, the direct descendants, don't ask about his early life."
Misunderstandings...
Mo Hua pondered for a moment and understood.
Within the noble families, interests were paramount, and sometimes familial affection could turn cold.
Good intentions could easily be twisted...
Shangguan Xu sighed and continued, "I don't know much about Yu'er's early life, but ever since he was 'abducted' last time..."
Shangguan Xu paused and looked around to ensure their privacy before lowering his voice. "...I don't know what he went through, but the nightmares have gotten worse, and they're becoming more and more severe..."
"Aunt Wan is worried sick and can barely eat or sleep."
"And sometimes, when Yu'er is having a nightmare, he mumbles your name in his sleep..."
"Maybe because you rescued him, and he feels a sense of kinship with you, so he keeps calling your name..."
"Aunt Wan also wants you to visit Yu'er when you have the time..."
"But since you've just joined the sect and your foundation is not yet stable, she didn't want to bother you with this matter..."
...
Shangguan Xu looked helpless.
Mo Hua's eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded. "Okay, I'll pay Yu'er a visit when I have the time."
Shangguan Xu breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I'll have to trouble you."
Mo Hua smiled, then reminded him, "Take care of yourself, Senior Brother."
Shangguan Xu was slightly taken aback, but his heart warmed, and he nodded. "Thank you, Junior Brother."
After parting ways, Mo Hua returned to the disciples' residence and lay on the table, deep in thought.
"Yu'er... nightmares... Can't leave Qingzhou City... Abducted..."
Mo Hua frowned, finding the situation peculiar.
But for now, he couldn't quite figure it out.
Mo Hua sighed.
He really liked Yu'er, a pure and kind-hearted child, and Aunt Wan had always been good to him. Knowing that Yu'er was plagued by nightmares made Mo Hua feel troubled.
However, he had already used up his time off for this season.
Mo Hua thought for a moment and decided to visit the Gu family in Qingzhou City during the next season break.
(End of Chapter)
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